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u/ThatInAHat 1d ago
Running is miserable for me, but my mental health was a lot better when I could go to the roller rink every week. Something about “mindless go fast in circles listening to loud music” just settled my brain.
And then they raised their prices to $10+ a session.
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u/THE_FOREVER_GM1 1d ago
I GOT 8 HOURS, RAN AROUND IN CIRCLES, AND ATE FOOD NOW MAKE THE HAPPY CHEMICAL!!!
Sometimes it works though, and it’s nice when it does.
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u/fuzzypurpledragon 1d ago
Did you remember to drink the clear, wet, splashy stuff?
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u/Sabiya_Duskblade 1d ago
I wish this were me! Instead I just feel winded, sore and still depressed.
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u/NobodyLikedThat1 1d ago
I never got that runners high or the feeling of euphoria from working out. More's the pity
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u/alcomaholic-aphone 1d ago
It’s nice after I’m done. But during it is complete torture. I’m more of a fan of just walking long distances.
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u/oneiross 1d ago
May I recommend rucking? Which is basically walking with added weight.
That was the one that unlocked that high for me. Was just a walker, started adding weight slowly, 5kg, then 7kg, then 8, 10 and so (I started by adding water bottles and towels to a backpack). It made the walks challenging without feeling like an actual workout, and then suddenly I started enjoying pushing myself without noticing (adding more weight, or walking faster with the current weight, or adding an extra km) and then one day I realized I was craving the high that came from it.
It slowly started giving me more endurance and I was able to then do other stuff without it being torture and actually enjoying. A year later and I'm getting into running and I'm loving it too.
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u/alcomaholic-aphone 1d ago
It’s probably just a me thing. I broke my leg years ago and don’t think I ever really recovered properly from it. I’ve tried a ton of things and just can’t consistently get my hips under me right when I get tired.
It’s a great idea though. I did some big hikes like Machu Picchu with tons of weight and loved it. Never really thought to incorporate it into my daily walks or anything though. Thanks for the tip.
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u/Max_Thunder 1d ago edited 1d ago
Have you tried physiotherapy? Could be a weak gluteus medius or something like that. That muscles balances the hips. If the weak is unbalanced then your body may compensate in different, less effective ways until fatigue sets in and the weakness becomes obvious.
Our body always finds way to compensate so people often don't notice. Like the hip can rotate a tiny bit, a shoulder might be very slightly elevated, you start using one leg more and nobody can really tell. And injuries often trigger those compensations and then they stay as a subconscious habit even once healed.
Maybe this isn't helpful at all, I just like talking about the underrated glute medius, lol.
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u/Electronic-Till-7794 1d ago
I imagine myself doing a concert with the music im listening to. Or engaged in a battle to the death.... either option is good motivation.
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u/alcomaholic-aphone 1d ago
I tried to like it for years. I’d always end up with shin splints or my ankle would start barking probably because my form sucked. I’d rather walk an hour and listen to a podcast than run for 20 minutes and feel like garbage.
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u/OkBuddyEnglishMajor 1d ago
Not that I'm advocating for running, just my experience: the more strength training I did the easier it was to run. I also ran like ultramarathoners do - kinda floppy and loping. I don't anymore because I'd rather walk lol.
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u/rookie-mistake 1d ago
Weight makes a huge difference too. I lost like 80lbs at one point, and I found out, like, oh, it can feel like this?? at a lower weight. it was genuinely revelatory haha
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u/LukaCola 1d ago
I'm a terrible runner, but I'm quite good at cycling--I have no problem going for a long time and pushing myself, but also finding a nice medium, something I just can't control well while running. Maybe if I practiced a lot, but hey.
The thing a lot of people don't talk about is that we really are all built differently. My wife's sister like wouldn't work out for ages and then run in half the time I can even when I practiced somewhat regularly and did other cardio. So many people describe having a relatively easy time running and so many the opposite. I think there's a lot going on that's invisible that helps and hinders different people and our experiences all end up quite different.
You don't have to force running to work for you, there are other options is my point. They tend to do the same thing.
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u/alcomaholic-aphone 1d ago
Thanks for the back up. I lost 70 lbs just walking and doing weight training years ago. I need to get back to it regularly because it’s creeping back up on me. But in general you just need to put in the work the way that works best for you. Sure we can all become better runners or lifters or swimmers etc.
But sometimes if we are just looking to workout and not really perfect or improve a specific skill it might not be worth it to do something you aren’t good at. Running for me takes more work and mental effort just for the form when that’s not really what I’m after. I just want to burn some calories and if I can walk for a while longer and get the same general benefit the lost 30 minutes from not running doesn’t really bother me.
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u/TrainOfThought6 1d ago
Same, never felt the runner's high, my mind is always too focused on how much it sucks. Luckily mountain biking tends to work better; I think having a trail to navigate, even a relatively straightforward one, helps keep my mind on something other than stress or being exhausted.
Wife and I discovered the glory of climbing gyms too, which accomplishes the same thing. (Also holy fuck I remember climbing being a lot easier when I was a teenager.)
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u/Thurwell 1d ago
Runners high requires you to run for a looong time until you're about to crap out and your body releases some endorphins to keep you going so a tiger doesn't eat you. Maybe that's a bad example, that's an ambush predator, but you get the idea. Anyway I don't run that long. The main reason I run is it's the laziest way to exercise. IE there's no equipment maintenance, it doesn't require a 50 mile bike path or a gym membership that I have to drive to to use, and so on.
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u/Murky-Relation481 1d ago
Better example is so you don't stop chasing dinner, if that theory holds any water that we are good long distance runners because that's how we hunted, chasing animals until they were too tired and then we could stab them to death and cut them up.
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u/Dozzi92 1d ago
I've never had a runner's high either, and I've done some decently long runs. That or I just don't notice the high, which I guess might be more likely.
Regardless, I still run often. I listen to my audiobooks. After you get past the "this sucks" part of running, and you find your pace and your rhythm, it's nice because you just run away from your start point, and then all you can do is run back. It's a complete lack of responsibility for the 45-90 minutes you're out doing it.
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u/Diskovski 1d ago
I'm running for over 20 years and never experienced a runners high. It's just very peaceful.
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u/b1gl0s3r 1d ago
Sometimes it's trial and error with different physical activities until you find one you enjoy. You don't have to jog, even though it's so common. And if you really struggle to find one you enjoy, find one you can tolerate. Even if it doesn't help your mental health, your physical health is also important.
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u/sewious 1d ago
That sucks. Always feel bad for people who don't get the runner's high. I rely on physical activity so much that I can't imagine not experiencing it.
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u/Glasseshalf 1d ago
I've been buying myself sour candy and I get to have one as a treat after exercise. Training myself like a dog since I don't have the built in system lol
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u/JoshFireseed 1d ago
I wish this were me! Instead I feel winded, sore, still depressed, half of the time I get a migraine (yes I drink plenty of water) and I struggle to sleep at night because my body insists on overheating the rest of the day.
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u/vl-dmir 1d ago
have you tried just walking for a certain amount of time respecting your limits/speed instead of running? I ask this because I don't like running, but walking for anything between 30 min to 2 hours makes wonders to my headspace, I don't know what happens, but it feels easier to discover what I need to do to each problem and unresolved feeling going on because thinking about it comes automatically and without burden when part of my brain is focused in moving my legs and arms
another thing I would like to note is that I tried to do it while listening to music and it didn't work, walking only helped me when it was only me and my thoughts or a friend walking by my side, to whom I was talking to
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u/Yorick257 1d ago
Walking is fine but it's SO BORING. The only way I can trick myself is by doing a detour when going grocery shopping. So instead of my fastest 30 minute walk, I walk for 1 hour
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u/bananagang420 1d ago
Try going on a hike?
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u/Yorick257 1d ago
I already walked everywhere I could within walking distance, and taking a bus to go somewhere else feels even more boring and time consuming. And completely unrealistic on a workday. I already wake up at 6AM to get home by 6PM
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u/Phormicidae 1d ago
Yea, I run fairly frequently, it actually has a deleterious affect on my mood, its always caused me to focus in on doubts and insecurities. Like a runner's low. But I still do it for whatever reason, guess I feel like I should.
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u/CompleatEmperor 1d ago
Try to run slower! It should be more like a light jog, so you can enjoy your surroundings and don’t have to struggle for your breath.
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u/ConradBHart42 1d ago
Comic doesn't suggest that running cures depression, only that it can counter the effects of stress.
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u/GreenDavidA 1d ago
I wish the people offering suggestions in the thread would understand that some people just do not feel good after any physical activity.
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u/Smokes_LetsGo876 1d ago
no matter what I do I dont seem to be able to get "high" from excercise.
maybe it was the years of hard drug use depleting all my feel good chemicals. but exercise has never once made me feel great. it makes me feel sore, tired, sweaty, and achy all over
I'm fairly in shape, and get enough exercise from my job. but I have never once experienced that high everyone always talks about
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u/The_Reset_Button 1d ago
Same, turns out I have a rare mitochondrial mutation that causes my body to not store energy correctly so I feel sore and tired after any amount of exercise
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u/CaleanKnight 1d ago
No Drug use, like at all, here...
All I get from Exercise is Pain, Suffering, Sweat and Tears.
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u/Nice-Pop-8487 1d ago
I enjoy outdoor running, though i very rarely get the "high"
To me its just one of the few moments a week where my thoughts won't be dominated by ongoing stress, cause I'll get back to all that shit eventually. Runtime is just for the run, and my brain gets a zen-ish break.
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u/Crosshack 1d ago
Nah I'm the same -- I feel good the next day when I'm done or wake up the next day (since I always exercise late at night) and I'm sore but the act of exercising is always a bit of a haul
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u/EjaculatingAracnids 1d ago
I have been strength training most of my life and running for the past 2 years. I had to run over 28 miles before i actually noticed a "runners high". It really just felt like my brain trying different emotions to keep me going. Like i was laughing at certain thoughts, then i felt like i could cry and back to laughing again cause i knew i was gonna finish the race like i planned.
My wife runs more than me and still talks about endorphins and a runners high, but all i get sweaty as fuck most of the time.
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u/GreenDavidA 1d ago
Same. I feel absolutely miserable after any form of exercise. Even after a period of time when I was working out three-four days a week, I still felt awful after. I only did it because I was losing weight. I hit a plateau and stopped torturing myself.
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u/Celestine321 1d ago
The worst part is when it works and now you have to admit the person who told you to exercise had a point.
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u/dalatinknight 1d ago
That's only annoying id they're the type to say "See I told you" Instead of "I'm happy for you"
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u/Main_Push5429 1d ago edited 1d ago
I tried running this past Sunday, my brain cannot get past the “why am I even doing this” phase of it.
I wonder what people who are runners think about the whole time. What are ya’ll running from?
ETA: Okay guys I’m gonna try it again this week and try to push myself past the “why am I even doing this” phase this time lol
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u/AceWither 1d ago
I only ran a little bit but the enjoyable part for me was when my brain just kinda turned off. I rarely get that kind of respite during normal existence so it was nice just being in the moment, feeling what I'm feeling without any thought attached to it.
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u/Kekkonen_Kakkonen 1d ago
Being physically exhausted also helps with falling asleep earlyer.
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u/Henry5321 1d ago
Depends for me. If the exercise causes my muscles to adapt, then it drives up my stress hormones and makes sleeping difficult.
Tired muscles help me sleep, but sore muscles prevent sleep.
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u/Kweschion 1d ago
I can run without issue if I’m listening to music but yeah if I have no earbuds in I can only run half as long before I give up. Hearing my heavy breathing throws me off big time
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u/bealimepinapple 1d ago
The hypothetical chance that someone might chase me down or needing to catch a pet that got out
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u/AbolMira 1d ago
Generally runners don't think. The act of focusing on running doesn't leave much room for excessive thinking.
Thinking while running is more subconscious than actively thinking. It's why people say "running is a good way to clear your mind," because it does it literally.
The longer distances can be occupied by stray thoughts depending on how active your internal narrative is.
Most people aren't running from anything, not really any way. At most you can say they're running from cluttered or over active thoughts, but even that is over stating the reality to fit a different narrative.
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u/bobandgeorge 1d ago
I tried running this past Sunday, my brain cannot get past the “why am I even doing this” phase of it.
The C25k (Couch to 5k) program is what helped me with this. The thing said if I do all of this in the way it says to do it, in nine weeks I would be able to run for 3 miles uninterrupted. That "why am I even doing this" thought was present but it was a little easier to ignore so I could focus more on running and getting to the next part of running.
I wonder what people who are runners think about the whole time.
Eh, sometimes it's like a shower thought. Sometimes I'm thinking about what happened yesterday. Sometimes I'm thinking about the music I'm listening to. Sometimes I'm thinking about nothing.
What are ya’ll running from?
All my problems.
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u/Dirrevarent 1d ago
I was like this about long walks and running until I got a dog, then I used her need to exercise as the motivation I needed. We went on tons of walks and I felt the most accomplished when we got home and she chugged water and lied down on the floor.
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u/shiddedandfarded69 1d ago
I've been running for 6 years and I'm still not over the "why am I even doing this" phase.
In fact it's progressed to the "yeah, I might live longer, but do I really want to live longer if I have to do this every fucking day?" phrase.
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u/dReDone 1d ago
It's my time to be in the moment. It grounds me. It's important to note that the best type of running you can do is longer slow runs (zone 2). I just go with the flow of the run and think about whatever comes naturally. Sometimes there's a lot to think about, sometimes there's nothing. Everyday I run I take in the nature and the community around me. I see things I wouldn't normally see and give myself time to think about things I've been putting off.
Instead of fighting those thoughts of "why am I even doing this", just let them flow. Imagine your thoughts are cars on a highway. Instead of trying to stop them, grab a chair and just watch them go by. Running is a meditation as much as a physical exercise. Mind and body.
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u/GrandJavelina 1d ago
We are evolved to do it better than any other animal. That question is better asked when sitting inside in front of screens.
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u/veetoo151 1d ago
You have to get past the mental hill as well as the physical one. Running does a lot for your health.
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u/project-shasta 1d ago
I'm going to the gym 3 times a week for over a year now, I know it's good for me, my body hurts less overall, I even see some small gains, but I just don't feel the post-workout-high everyone is talking about. I'm just beat and sweaty after it and I am glad when I'm home again.
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u/Vospader998 1d ago
It's a "runner's high", and it's more for endurance cardio. It's usually hits a few kilometers in when you get your "second wind". Most people will only get it when they run frequently and for long distances.
Resistance training can make you feel good, but it doesn't feel remotely the same. I notice I can feel "pumped up", but generally only while doing it, or for a brief time after.
For me it's more of a slow burn. If I miss a day or two I'm not going to notice, but if more than a week goes by, I'll think "man, why do I feel unmotivated and shitty?" "Oh, I haven't gotten any quality exercise in a while". I think it's one of those things you don't notice until you go without for a bit.
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u/fuzzypurpledragon 1d ago edited 1d ago
- cries in chronic disability * Seriously though, I'm still going to get a walking treadmill, fibromyalgia be damned. It'll help me move while keeping me close to anything I need for an emergency.
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u/LastNinjaPanda 1d ago
Fibro fam rise up. But not too fast you don't want your muscles to start screaming
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u/fuzzypurpledragon 1d ago
Lemme hear your war cries!
"Various groans of pain and discomfort"
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u/LastNinjaPanda 1d ago
And then your throat hurts for at least 10 minutes cuz you used your vocal cords
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u/SmokeyCatDesigns 1d ago
Relatable. I have POTS and some nerve pain issues and chronic sinus pain, too. Tiring way to live. But, I’ve found the right amount and right types of exercise are great.
The right amount varies a lot with what my body decided that day. Means I’m somewhat inconsistent. I have no schedule or routine to it. But I am consistent about getting exercise over time. And that’s what’s really important.
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u/ItsMangel 1d ago
You could also consider an exercise bike. I don't know much about fibromyalgia, but I'd imagine the lower impact would be good.
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u/fuzzypurpledragon 1d ago
Unfortunately, I live in a shoebox of an apartment with my husband, son, and two cats. A walking pad is small enough to stash away... But once we get a bigger place, I'm getting a bike. Thank you for caring! 😊
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u/Material_Claim6541 1d ago
This is me but with riding a bike veeeeeeeery slowly (idk what I have but I've been in constant pain for more than 3 years )
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u/SylvieXX 1d ago
I hate running, but just in case this helps someone, swimming worked for me ! Being in the water means you're not covered in sweat with your ankles aching, and even if you don't want to go too hard, just floating around in the water feels calming...
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u/biznatch11 1d ago
I do both. Swimming is fantastic exercise but I get pretty bored just going back and forth back and forth back and forth. Like running on a treadmill. I like running outside, being in nature with changing scenery.
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u/MattMercersBracelets 1d ago
Lifting weights does it for me! I’m convinced there’s an exercise or movement out there for everyone (barring health issues or other extenuating circumstances)
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u/Ken-g6 1d ago
I find it impossible to exercise for exercise's sake. I can sometimes exercise if I'm getting something useful done at the same time. Like I can ride my bicycle to the grocery store, do some shopping, save some gasoline, oh, and I get exercise too.
Maybe I could convince myself to ride a stationary bike if it could charge my phone or something.
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u/Tracerround702 1d ago
God, I wish. Running just makes me feel bored, gross, and slightly ill.
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u/SarcasmInProgress 1d ago
Yeah, it's not for me either, I don't have the condition for that. I don't mind a 13 hr hike in the mountains, but make me run for 1 minute and I'm coughing my lungs out like a 70 year old tobacco addict
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u/TheEPGFiles 1d ago
I don't get runners high, I only get more exhausted and tired and therefore, more angry.
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u/Schmooto 1d ago
I really hoped for this effect and ran for 2 miles everyday (unless it was raining or thunder was rumbling) for 2 years straight. Having lifelong chronic severe depression, I really wanted to experience heightened endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin.
Unfortunately, absolutely nothing changed mentally. I never felt any better.
But I think I must be an exception, since this is talked about as just a factual phenomenon that happens to everyone. I’ve had severe depression since around age 9, and I’m intensely treatment resistant. I suspect that both my brain’s ability to produce endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin and neuroreceptors which process those chemicals are just not functioning in my brain.
So I would recommend people to go running, because even if it does jack shit to you mentally, it can’t be harming you. If anything, it must be physically good for you, even if you don’t feel any change whatsoever.
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u/MedorraBlue 1d ago
Honestly, I think I might be in the same situation... but you make a fantastic point at the end. I oughtta get my bike fixed...
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u/Lessitoro 1d ago
Just a random stranger's experience: I thought I was also the exception and was always just miserable. After some experimenting, I discovered that the running "high" only kicked in for me after about 30 minutes of running
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u/dReDone 1d ago
I'm not even warmed up by 2 miles. My legs still feel a bit heavy and I feel sluggish. *IF* you ever try again... Try less times a week, longer slower runs. Do like 3 runs. A few short ones 30m-1hr during the week and one long one on the weekend 1 hour plus. SLOW SLOW SLOW. 8min/km. For me around 8-10km is where I start to feel light, like I could run forever. That light feeling is the first step to the runners high.
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u/Possessed_potato 1d ago edited 1d ago
Regularly exercising can help a lot with stress relief, preventing depression and even cure mild depression. Reason why it's prescribed by therapists sometimes.
Exercise in this context could be anything from going on 5min walks to doing stuff at the gym. Goal isn't to exert yourself, only to keep your body active regularly.
Edit: I'd like to point out incase someone accidentally skipped over it, but it's specifically mild depression that it can cure by itself, not depression over all. While it certainly can help cure moderate depression, you'd most likely need additional things ontop of that to actually cure it and if a person has severe depression then exercise is an ineffective treatment method that does little to nothing.
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u/HeartoftheHive 1d ago
My issue isn't with the exercise. It's what comes after. Being sore and sweaty. Having to shower when you really don't want to. I swear, most of my problems would be fixed if I had some sort of automated shower pod. I HATE showering. Having to do it more is not on my list of things I am willing to do.
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u/vivst0r 1d ago
Those 2 things are kinda what make me do it.
Feeling powered out feels great because it means I've done something good.
And being sweaty may not feel great, but it's by far the best motivator to get me to shower. I still don't like showering, but not wanting to be sticky and smelly is enough to force me to finally do it.
If anything the getting ready for the exercise and at least half of the exercise is the hard part.
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u/Stallion_Girth 1d ago
Hate showering and posting on mylittlepony subreddit is hilarious
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u/frn 1d ago
+ its a bit of a chicken an egg scenario because they'd probs feel better about showering if they experienced the psychological benefits of running. Speaking from experience, depression is often a cycle, you have to start breaking that cycle somewhere. If you can't afford therapy then might as well start with running.
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u/Kanehammer 1d ago
Honestly I find it way easier to just take a bath
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u/HeartoftheHive 1d ago
My shower isn't big enough for me to take a bath, so that is a luxury I can't enjoy.
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u/threelayersofchinfat 1d ago
I use a stool and just sit under the shower when it's one of those days. Very effective to get the "shower time engine" started.
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u/DeadlyClowns 1d ago
Damn I have the opposite problem, if left unchecked I will shower so frequently that its problematic. Any timr I feel stressed or sick a shower makes it all go away for a bit
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u/thr33prim3s 1d ago
this is the first time I hear someone say they hate showering lol. That is the best part!
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u/S1lentA0 Comic Crossover 1d ago
Post history checks out. Jokes aside, I normally combine sports/gym with a workday at home, go to the gym in the afternoon and shower after. That eliminates an extra shower session.
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u/SuperCarbideBros 1d ago
I might try outdoor running if I wasn't living in a place where I could easily be squished by cars, so I decided to try the second best thing: cardio in a gym. I was miserable: my lungs are doing fine; it's just mind-numbingly boring.
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u/MothChasingFlame 1d ago edited 1d ago
Speaking as an outdoor runner... blech. Treadmill running might as well not even be in the same category. It's just so soul crushing I'd bet anything it's made a lot of people think "I hate running" who then just straight quit. Which is honestly a minor tragedy.
You'd think the monotony would help the meditative state, but no. Boredom and meditation are not the same thing and can't cohabitate (for me, anyway.)
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u/SuperCarbideBros 1d ago
Now that I think about it, it makes sense now. Treadmill was invented as a punishment device after all.
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u/AceNova2217 1d ago
Yep. I've never done any extended running on a treadmill, but I did run a route once that had a several km long entirely straight section along a road and my god it suuuuuuuuuuuucked. It was just so boring!
I much prefer my woodland / nature park routes.
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u/ddanonb 1d ago
Like someone else said, I also dont receive the brain chemical benefit. I get bored, to easily distracted during it. The physical pain in my legs from it, my chest hurts immediately. Cycling is easier, and nicer and more interesting for me. Though I still dont get the chemical benefit from it, I can at least watch everything speed by and thats nice.
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u/Septembust 1d ago
I started off with all the excuses, suffered from fatigue, really hated it, was also very overweight
I started losing weight purely through calorie counting, and once I'd lost a fair bit, I decided I wanted to exercise for my health too, especially my terrible cardio.
I used the c25k app to pace myself, and I still can't quite do a 20 minute jof, but it's done quite a bit for me. At first I hated it, but I forced myself to push through and now I honestly kind of enjoy it. My cardio has substantially improved, and I don't feel nearly as much fatigue. I took a bit of a fitness break, and gained back a bunch of weight, and I could feel the return of that fatigue. Getting back into jogging has brought me back up
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u/BionicTriforce 1d ago
Damn, how do I tell my brain to start doing that. I've gone to the gym a few hundred times and never once have I felt any joy from doing it! It's always "Gosh I wish I was home right now"
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u/theFamooos 1d ago
Oh look a comic about my wife who discovered this a long time ago and just gives me a look when I ask why she goes running so often.
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u/Wemo_ffw 1d ago
I utterly hate running. I think it may be because it’s a graded performance aspect of my career field, but I hate it so much. I only run to get better at it and hate it the entire time lol
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u/Putrid-Item-1592 1d ago
It do be like the comic. Running distance brings clarity.
Run at a pace you could talk to somebody at, and you can go for miles. I’m 245 pounds btw.
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u/Ohmec 1d ago
As a person who was in track and field, football, and many other sports and is still about 175 in my mid 30s... I've never gotten a runners high. I hate distance running. It's never fun, I never zen out, my lungs just burn and my brain can't stop thinking about it.
This is why I was a sprinter.
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u/jongchajong 1d ago
go slower! took me years of hating running to finally listen to someone telling me that. Go so slow it doesnt even feel like you are exercising, embarassingly slow, then stay there for like 45 mins. If you feel it in your lungs youre going too fast, if you could sing then you might be going too slow. I didnt realize your legs were supposed to get tired running because my lungs always gave out first.
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u/gramathy 1d ago
i really wish this worked for me.
People keep saying that exercise makes you feel better but I suspect that only helps neurotypical people. I'm not, and all exercise does is stall for time. While i'm exercising, I'm focused on that. I'm thinking about my power output, I'm thinking about wha the next 20 minutes of my route look like. I'm not thinking about all the things I think about all thr est of the time. I get home, and all the nagging thoughts and depression show themselves, just like they always do.
I get home, and I switch right back to the spiraling. Yeah, it's 2-3 hours of not thinking about it. But it doesn't stop the thoughts, it just delays them.
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u/Person899887 1d ago
Not neurotypical, it still helps me. The delay is the point. It’s one thing to help on top of everything else.
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u/Sesudesu 1d ago
I’ve also long suspected that it’s the ND screwed up reward system that makes exercise different for me. Like, the only time I’m ever feeling engaged with it is if I’m tracking numbers and analyzing it. It never makes me ‘feel good,’ it just has my interest.
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u/gramathy 1d ago
Exactly. I can recognize the net benefit (weight loss, endurance and strength benefits) and still realize it's not really giving me a lasting mental health benefit. I'm still depressed, the exercising just gives me something to focus on while I'm doing it. I can at least get something out of it, but it's a short term "I set a new record" rather than a long term mental health benefit.
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u/Empty-Development298 1d ago
I don't see fitness as a cure for depression, but rather supplementary towards living a good life that we should generally strive towards if its within your means.
As you mentioned it gives you something to do that within your control. Being able to focus on the gym is the point, even if you just want to leave while you're there.
I'm dreading every second I'm lifting weights. Yet, I know after that workout, I chose to contribute meaningfully towards my day in a way I don't normally do when I lie in bed scrolling through slop like right now.
I like the atomic habit approach of creating preconditions to improve your life or task at a rate of 1% per day
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u/sigma914 1d ago
Yeh, never got a reward from exercise itself, it's just another thankless chore in itself. Numbers going up/down though, that's motivating, until they stop going up or down for a couple of weeks, then it's back to just being a complete chore
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u/cyanraichu 1d ago
It does help me, but not during. It boost my mood after I'm done, and over time if I do it consistently enough. I still dislike the actual process and it does the opposite of getting my mind off things - in and of itself it's pretty boring.
I still like the effects it has (on mood but also health) when done consistently and I think it's worth it, but upfront motivation can be really hard.
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u/SweetumsTheMuppet 1d ago
Also doesn't work for me if it's a routine, for similar reasons. You get focused on the details. I find when I can get into a flow state *and* workout, that's the one that starts helping. But how to get into a flow state? For me, it's workouts that actively challenge you to stay focused in the moment. Kickboxing (working pads with partners even, not sparring), skiing where you have to stay focused on the terrain, same with mountain biking. Those have been my favorites when I can find / afford them. When I couldn't I got a buddy and we worked focus mitt drills together ... a little tougher to design your own workout, but trading it off helps keep it fresh.
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u/IronicRobotics 1d ago
For me w/ ADHD at least, I'm a lot worst when otherwise normal without routine exercise. If I don't exercise well for 2ish weeks, I start to feel a really low grade anxietyish and/or overall kinda bleh. It's a key for feeling and living at my best
But if I'm in an episode of more moderate-severe depression, it'll at best marginally make me feel better, but it's a fight on the way there anyhow. and I'm still gonna feel overall pretty fucking bad since that's the baseline.
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u/Mikomics 1d ago
Yeah. For some people it genuinely doesn't work but I know a lot of people who just never actually tried getting 8 hours of sleep, drinking 2 liters of water every day or doing any relevant amount of exercise. Or they journal for only three days and then say it didn't work.
If it doesn't work it doesn't work but you can't say it doesn't work until you've got documented proof that you stuck with it for at least two weeks. You won't become physically fit if you lift weights a few times and then give up - mental health is the same.
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u/Traditional-Work7301 1d ago
It’s not just exercising for me. It’s clothing up, going outside, defying my worn joints and bad back/knee, going back inside, showering, get dressed again and being in severe pain for days. Not a very simple solution when you’ve got ADD and physical disabilities.
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u/Elfere 1d ago
Running saved my life. When stress got to me one day I put my shoes on and just went for a jog. No plan. I didn't get very far before I was huffing and panting and suddenly I realized I cannot be stressed about anything when I'm fighting for breath. Eventually I learned to pace myself and now I can run 5k if needed (although I prefer my 2.2k runs just for time management)
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u/TheTasorole 1d ago
I am too asthmatic to get this. I will save this plan for if I am ever in medical debt, but it's not necessary at the moment.
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u/TeenyTinyToast 1d ago
You can also walk too.
Maybe you won't be as distracted gasping for air but it's a step up from not doing anything.
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u/TheTasorole 1d ago
I regularly fence, hike, and weight lift. Running is more of a self-after-birth-abortion.
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u/Envii02 1d ago
Well if you do all those things then you get the point of the comic. Exercise releases endorphins, decreases your stress and makes you feel better.
Fencing, running, hiking it's all exercise.
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u/SirBeeves SeraBeeves 1d ago
For more exercise adjacent or other comics check out my Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/serabeeves?srtk=MTZtejl0d3liaG96aQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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u/regarding_your_bat 1d ago
So many of the responses to this comic are just some flavor of the second panel. Lol
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u/the_sneaky_one123 1d ago
This has never happened me even though I run a lot.
It is difficult all the way through the run and afterwards I mostly just feel tired. No improvement in mood, infact it uaully results in a lower mood.
I only do it for fitness and health and have never had any endorphin boost.
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u/Reasonable-Song-4681 1d ago
Well, I'm not the only one then. Exercise in general has never accomplished anything as far as mood goes for me. Shrug.
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u/mil9ochotres 1d ago
Not having a great year. It has been a financial struggle all around. Many disappointments. I used to run frecuently last year. I even made a 1,200km a year landmark.... this year, depression, sadness and overall struggle has render me without energy to do anything.
10 months later, here I am trying to start again. Here with a couple dumbbells at home, feeling a little lost.
Heres to me guys. This comic came at the right time.
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u/Lieutenant_Joe 1d ago
This is usually hiking for me. Didn’t work two days ago, though. I just had too much on my mind.
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u/Gamer2Paladin 1d ago
Remember! The human race evolved as a president hunter what makes it normal for us to walk or run great distances! (Says the overweight NB that needs more exercise😅)
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u/Oraxy51 1d ago
Which is why non-walkable cities should be seen as an abomination of human nature.
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u/LaniusCruiser 1d ago
It'd be nice if it works for me, but running just makes me feel worse. Chronic fatigue is such a joy.
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u/Chance-Ear-9772 1d ago
I absolutely hate it when someone suggests something like this and it works. Like, I’m better, but at what cost….
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u/LadyIsabel0052 1d ago
When you're deep in the depression hole, it sounds insane that little things like going for a walk, or meditation, or even just drinking enough water. But it does help. None of those are a cure-all, and neither will they start working overnight. But little by little, you'll feel your mood start to brighten up just a smidge.
The problem isn't starting, it's keeping up with it. Every day. And it's frustrating, and it feels like bullshit that you have to do these chores to make your stupid brain feel good, but it works. I know because I've been there. Still am somedays. It's a struggle.
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u/GrinningPariah 1d ago
I think I've had this exact set of thoughts. Both the absolute certainty that the suggestion is stupid, that it'll just take time away from all those things you have to do, and then that inexplicable "DANG it" when it works. Like you wanted to be right that it was all inescapable.
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u/claycubed 1d ago
Exercise does help me get my mind off some things sure.
But 9/10 i end up actually feeling worse after because one of my least favorite feelings in the world is being sweaty (sensory issue). And unfortunately my body starts sweating very easily and in large amounts.
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u/NoRightsProductions 1d ago
I like John Green’s mantra, “Time to take my stupid walk for my stupid mental health…”
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u/Anon_be_thy_name 1d ago
Honestly, whenever I've had a really bad day, be it stress, feeling unwell, in a poor mood, etc, I go to the gym or work out at home.
Just play my music and the only thing going through my head is what I'm doing. I've found it helps so much.
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u/iwillhaveredditall 1d ago
Now imagine having diabetes and getting hypoglycemia from running and getting stressed to death lmao
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u/ArcWolf713 1d ago
No. I worked out minimum 5 times a week for 12 years. Never got that. Those exercise endorphins are as good as a myth to me.
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u/AnotherWitch 1d ago
There’s no way this is a common experience. Exercise feels like nothing unless it’s a game. Then it feels like a game. The whole endorphin thing is so made up and overblown.
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u/Shuski_Cross 1d ago
I was in the same boat. Exercise hurt, it sucked, why do my joints feel worse. Turns out, you can exercise wrong, very wrong, counterintuitivly wrong...
Went to physio, and got a coach. After a couple weeks of better form exercise. It really felt nice. Theres no pain, just a mild ache and that weirdly feels good.
The issue is, if you suddenly start to exercise, you are requesting a lot from muscles that don't get used, but should be used, you'll use other wrong muscles to compensate.
I bet when you walk up stairs, you use/activate your thigh muscles (quads) mainly, and your glutes barely activate, your hamstrings and glutes should be pulling your knee back too. Same goes for running and walking. But for a lot of people their glutes and hamstrings are weak af, so you'll get knee, thigh, hip pain when going up stairs or walking.
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u/nomadfoy 1d ago
Im still pissed my diets working. If it doesn't work you get points for trying and get to stop but now I have to keep doing it.
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u/B-Z_B-S 1d ago
Relevant xkcd: Also, thanks for the comic and hope you have a great day!